Illinois law helps residents get off gas

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

ELECTRIFICATION

• Hundreds of Illinois residents have benefited from state law that allows utilities to meet energy efficiency mandates by retrofitting gas-fired appliances with electric models. (Canary Media)

PIPELINES

• The Dakota Access pipeline developer appeals a North Dakota judge’s decision to not interfere with Greenpeace’s free speech lawsuit it filed against the company in the Netherlands. (North Dakota Monitor)

COAL

• Trump administration orders to keep a large Michigan coal plant open beyond its retirement date at the end of May have now cost about $113 million. (The Guardian)

CLEAN ENERGY

• New bipartisan legislation would undo Trump administration changes to the Rural Energy for America Program and require the USDA to favor small rural energy projects that cut climate emissions. (E&E News)

SOLAR

• The president’s house at Oakland University in metro Detroit is the first building on campus to be fully solar powered. (Detroit News)

WIND

• A Minnesota county planning commission approves plans for a 200 MW wind project across more than 26,000 acres. (KXNET)

DATA CENTERS

• Indiana Senate leaders say nondisclosure agreements used for proposed data center projects should be limited to increase transparency around developments. (WISH)

• Michigan farmland values increased more in price per acre than any other state in the past year, driven in part by development interest from data centers. (Bridge)

• Residents in a rural southeastern Michigan township plan to protest today over plans for a $7 billion data center that critics worry will strain the power grid and reduce property values. (WXYZ)

GRID

• A U.S. House committee will examine potential electric grid loopholes and vulnerabilities at a hearing this week that could generate rare bipartisan agreement. (E&E News)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Can the war on coal still be won? — Michael Grunwald

• Chart: Solar and wind are meeting — and exceeding — new power demand — Dan McCarthy

• Some gas stations are revamping to attract EV drivers with time to kill — Benton Graham